Container shipping Antwerp to Freetown
Are you interested in a way to ship a container from Antwerp to Freetown (SLFNA)? Sea freight is a convenient transport solution: e.g. you can transport high volumes for a reasonable price, you have low maintenance costs and containers can also be used for further transportation by road or rail. Transporting a container overseas with liquid bulk or equipment is easy with shippinglines like COSCO. You can choose from various types of containers. An important distinction is Full Container Load (FCL) and (LCL) Less Container Load. Via our freight forwarders you will find dedicated information for international transport Freetown (SL FNA). You can read extensive information about the different types and ways of sea freight. Further on you can read a step-by-step export plan. Contact u directly and we will gladly send you a tailor-made offer with the best rates and fastest transit times.
- Ocean shipping is a reliable, trustworthy and inexpensive way to ship high volume products.
- Compared to air transport, there are fewer restrictions and it is far cheaper.
- Sea freight is an often chosen option for worldwide removals and carrying container cargo or equipment.
- The Port of Freetown is an important hub in Sierra Leone.
- The most commonly used containers are: standaard 20 ft, 40 ft and 40 HC and Insulated, Flat Rack, Hard-Top, Refrigerated, Open-Top, Ventilated containers.
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Shipping to Freetown (SLFNA) from Antwerp (BEANR)
Ocean freight shipping is the process of transporting items or goods by ship. Your articles are loaded into the container. Your freight forwarder will book a container. The cargo is transported by truck to the shipping vessel at the port of departure (POD) Freetown (SL FNA), and will be shipped over the ocean to the recipient at the POD (port of destination). You need to make a choose out of: port-to-port, door-to-port, door-to-door, port-to-port. In the following paragraph we provide you with details about the port of arrival.
| Port of departure | Port of Antwerp (BEANR) |
| Country of departure | Belgium |
| Port of destination | Port of Freetown |
| Country of destination | Sierra Leone |
| Port Code | SLFNA |
| Transportation time | +/- 14 days |
| Shipping rates | $$$ |
| Office address | Queen Elizabeth II Quay PMB 386 Cline Town FreetownSierra Leone |
| sierra-leone@containershippingservice.com | |
| Website | www.freetownport.com |
| Phone | 23222229308 |
Freight Forwarder Antwerp – port of Freetown
- Shipment details
Enter the port of departure and the POD (port of destination). Decide how you want to export: (FCL) full containers or a container with combined cargo (LCL). You can also choose the size of the container (twenty foot, forty foot or a high cube).
- Cargo preparations
Primarily, ensure the cargo is packed appropriately for carriage. To prevent damage, ensure that your cargo is always placed on pallets. Also make sure you have good labels.
- Customs documents and procedures
In the situations that you export goods to Freetown (SLFNA), you should think about several export documents (for fast customs clearance): bill of lading, packing declaration, export/import customs declaration, commercial invoice, certificates of origin. A Bill of Lading is a legal document that is provided to the shipper to acknowledge that they have received the goods and that the freight has been booked correctly.
- Selecting the best Incoterms
Incoterms are relevant terms for worldwide shipping to define obligations, costs, and risks involved in the delivery of goods. The Incoterm defines who is responsible for e.g transit, insurance and customs clearance. For freight by sea, these are the most popular terms: Ex Works (EXW), Cost, Insurance Freight (CIF), Delivery Duty Paid (DDP).
- Track Sea Cargo
Use cargo tracking to check where your cargo is at this moment. You can see exactly when the shipping is departed from POL (Port of loading), arrived at Port of delivery (POD) and when your cargo has been unloaded at the final destination.
Sea freight from Freetown (SLFNA) to Antwerp (BEANR): choosing a suitable container
You want to export goods and ship a container from port of Freetown – (SL FNA) to port of Antwerp – (BE ANR)? It is crucial to find the right container type. There are smaller and bigger boxes (20ft & 40ft) and different ways to fill a container (FCL shipping or LCL shipping). Some main shipping lines are CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC. Important towns around the port are Freetown, Goderich, Masoyila, Sawkta, Lungi, Hastings, Pepel, Waterloo, Kasiri, Mambolo, Port Loko, Mange, Rotifunk, Kambia, Lunsar, Rokupr, Moyamba, Yonibana, Kukuna, Largo. In the following summary you will find useful information about the most common sizes and types. Also click further for information about FCL Shipping.
Advantages of a 20 foot container
20 FT containers (sometimes also called dry van) is the most versatile container type. They are easy to load, access, and handle, which ensures low handling costs. Suitable for different kinds of storage including personal items and international removals. Keep in mind: TEU is a standard measurement of volume in container shipping and means 1 20 Foot container.
- The most commonly used box for transporting goods by means of shipping.
- A 20-foot container has the following dimensions: 5898 (l) x 2390 (h) x 2350 (w) mm.
- Usually, 9-11 pallets are able to fit in one TEU.
- You can load it with maximum +/- 27.700 kg.
Explanation about a 40 foot container
The 40-foot container is identical to the 20-foot container, but once the size. Many kinds of products can be loaded and stored in it. This makes it a popular choice for shipping large volumes of cargo. Good to know: there exist a bigger and higher ‘high cube’ edition. This is one foot taller than a regular 40 ft. Ideal for tall items.
- The ideal means of transport for large loads.
- The format is universal: 12031 x 2346 x 2383 mm.
- The 40’ft container can hold up to 24 EU pallets.
- The maximum load is +/- 28.500 kilogram.
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What is a FCL container and what are the benefits?
When you need a lot of container space, then a full container is often worth it. This is known as an FCL (Full Container Load). You don’t need to share your container with anyone else. This has multiple advantages: ideal transit time, less risk of damage during the logistics process and you pay lower price per unit. You have to pay attention to a few things: it is not suitable for importers and exporters with lower shipping volume and it can be a financial risk with a larger inventory. There are also other departure ports. See for example Rotterdam to Freetown (SLFNA) or Hamburg to Freetown (SLFNA).
- FCL Means that means that the whole container is intended for one shipper.
- Ideal for cargo with tight delivery schedules.
- Recommended for shipments from 15 m3.
- Available at: e.g. CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, MSC, COSCO.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of LCL containers?
With a small freight, then your cargo will be combined with other cargo. Logistics management organization handles this as a LCL (Less Than Container Load). The idea of LCL is that you just pay for the amount of space used in a single container. There are many benefits like: it’s perfect for shipping small loads, you spend less on inventory space and it offers consistent weekly sailing schedules for sea freight. Pay attention: when you ship enough volume to fill more than half a container, then FCL is probably a more favorable choice. The cost of the shipment is determined by shipping dimensions, weight, and number of pieces.
- LCL means that your shipment is taking up only a part of a partial container.
- The best choice for a charge between 2 m3 – 13,5 m3.
- You only pay for the space you need in a shipping.
- Easier to find space during peak season.
- Available at: e.g. Evergreen, Yang Ming, Wan Hai, ZIM, POL.
Other container types for special loads
You can choose from many types of boxes for shipping your cargo. There is a suitable solution for every type of cargo. The most popular version is of course the Dry van. There are also special possibilities for liquids, flowers, fruit or unique high value cargo. We explain everything below. You can also look further at transport options in Xingang (CNXGG), port of Bushehr (IRBUZ), Tilbury (GBTIL) harbor and terminal Tuticorin (INTUT).
- Bulk Containers: used for transport of foodstuffs or bulk such as wheat and grains.
- Flat Rack Containers: the walls allows for the loading of cargo from the top and/or sides.
- Hard-Top Containers: for shipping heavy to very heavy cargo.
- High-Cube Containers: an intermodal storage unit with an external height of 9ft. 6in.
- Insulated Containers: ideal for Storage or Shipping Dry Goods.
- Open-Top Containers: enables oversized cargo such as timber and scrap metal to be loaded from the top.
- Palletwide Containers: the ideal type for transporting many euro pallets.
- Refrigerated Containers: reefers are used for goods which need to be transported at a constant temperature.
- Tank Containers: suitable for different modes of transportation, and built to carry hazardous cargo.
- Ventilated Containers: used to transport cargo with good moisture contents which requires ventilation while transit.
Important types of ocean cargo: what kind of stuff are you going to ship?
Importing load by ocean from Antwerp (BEANR) to Freetown (SLFNA) has lots of advantages: attractive rates, particularly interesting for bulk cargo and much more environmentally friendly than e.g. air freight. Frequently chosen ocean cargo transported by sea include: dry bulk, neo bulk, liquid bulk, break bulk, roll on/roll off. Below we tell you everything about it.
- Car shipping: shipping your vehicle to another part of a country or the other side of the world.
- House Moving: your international relocation will be less time-consuming and more efficient.
- Removals (Household Goods): quickly and easily ship your household effects to another city.
- Liquid Bulk: e.g. petroleum, biofuels, diesel, kerosene, gasoline, chemicals.
- Dry Bulk: coal, iron ore, grain but also stuff like salt, cement, sugar, sand.
- Roll on Roll off (RORO): means that the cargo is moved on and off the vessel on wheels.
- Breakbulk: For the transport of cargo that don’t fit in standard-size shipping containers or cargo bins.
- Retail & other: freight like sports equipment, art and antiques, medical/pharmacy, toys, electronic goods and shoes, furniture, food, fashion, drinks.
FAQ: questions and answers about international transport
Shipping a container from Antwerp (BE) to Freetown takes around 14 days. The total distance is approx. 3450 nautical miles (nmi). 1 nautical mile is equivalent to 1.85 km. That makes the distance 6389 km. When you ship a sea container, you will have to deal with ETD and ETA. Estimated time of departure (ETD) is when the ship is estimated to leave the port. ETA means the Expected or Estimated Time of Arrival. The shipping time is determined on the basis of condition of the hull and the propeller, sea weather condition and berth availability.
Shipping rates from Antwerp (Belgium) to Freetown (Sierra Leone) are slightly above average. The total costs are determined by various ingredients such as the size of the container, shipping time and freight forwarder handling fees. We invite you to contact us for current rates and transit times.
When transporting goods to Freetown, then customs clearance is an important step. You will need the following documentation: Letter of Credit, Import/export Licenses, Certificate of Origin, Bill of Lading, Insurance Certificate, Packing List. For questions or additional information, please contact the customs of Sierra Leone or navigate to the website of the port or the government (www.freetownport.com).
Incoterms define who is responsible for each phase of shipping process. The two most popular Incoterms rules in maritime shipping are CIF and FOB. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) means the selling party arranges the costs of transporting the cargo to the named port of destination. Free on Board (FOB) means the seller is responsible for the cargo till the moment that it’s all loaded into the vessel. Other commonly used Incoterms 2000 are e.g. Ex Works (EXW), Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), Free Carrier (FCA), Carriage Paid To (CPT) and Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU), Delivered At Place (DAP), Carriage and Insurance Paid To (CIP).